Pani Puri / Golguppa

 Pani Puri is one of the famous street food of North India. Pani Puri was a delicacy where I grew up, in South India. We did not make it at home. We would wait at the Pani Puri tela wala (food cart) on the street (at the beach). We would pay RS. 5(about a quarter) to the guy(Pani Puri wala). He would hand us a small paper plate. Then he would pop a hole on top of a Golguppa (deep-fried Puri balls0, fill it with potato, chickpeas, and top it with spicy Pani Puri water or Sweet Pani Puri water. and place it on on our plate. We would get 10 Golguppas for a quarter. 

 I always buy the Pani Puri from the local Indian market. You can also find them at Costco. The Pani Puri container comes with dry Pani Puri spice that can be mixed with cold water. You can also make the spicy water with fresh cilantro and mint leaves.

Ingredients :

1 Box of fried Pani Puri.

1 Cup boiled and drained chick peas 

1 1/2 Cups potato for stuffing

3 Cups Spicy Green Pani (water)

1 Cup Sweet Pani 

1/2 Cup boondi

Ingredients for Potato stuffing:

2 Boiled potatoes

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 green chili, chopped (optional)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1/2 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 

Ingredients for Spicy Green Pani :

1 Cup tightly packed fresh cilantro

1/2 Cup tightly packed fresh mint

1/2 inch ginger

2-4 green chili

small pebble sized tamarind or 2 teaspoon tamarind paste

1 teaspoon chat masala

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black peppercorn

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon black salt

1 pinch asafoetida

salt to taste

2 teaspoon lemon juice

3 Cups cold water

Ingredients for Sweet Pani:

1 Cup tamarind extract 

3 Tablespoon Jaggery or brown sugar

1 teaspoon chat masala

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black peppercorn

1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 pinch asafoetida

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Cups cold water

Method to make Potato for stuffing:

1. Peel cooked potato and mash it coarsely with a spoon.

2. Heat 1 spoon oil in a pan. Add cumin and allow to splutter. Add chopped green chili and sauté for a minute. Now add the mashed potato, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, amchur. salt, and asafoetida. Mix well and cook for a couple minutes until everything is blended.

3. Stir in chopped cilantro. Remove from stove and set aside.

Method to make Spicy Green Pani:

1. Place cilantro, mint, green chili, tamarind, and ginger in a blender jar. Add 1/8 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. 

                                                               

2. Add the dry ingredients, cumin powder, amchur, peppercorn. chat masala, black salt, asafetida, salt, and sugar. Run the blender for a few seconds. 

                                                               

3. Take 4 Tablespoons of the paste in a medium bowl. Stir in 3 cups of cold water. Taste and add salt or spices if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Method for making Sweet Pani:

1. Mix 2 Tablespoons tamarind paste in a cup of water or soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for a few minutes. Extract the juice and throw away the tamarind. Add another 1/2 cup water.

2. Place jaggery in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and dissolve the jaggery. 

3. Stir in the tamarind extract to jaggery water. Add salt, chat masala, roasted cumin powder, powdered peppercorn, Kashmiri chili powder and 2 cups water. Taste and check for spices. Chill until serving.

                                                             

How to serve Pani Puri:

                                                   

1. Pop the top of the Puri to make a big hole, without breaking it.

2. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of potato. Top with 2-3 chickpeas.

3. Fill the Puri with spicy pani. Add a few boondi if using. Pop the Pani Puri in your mouth. Enjoy the explosion of flavor in your mouth. Repeat process  and fill with sweet pani. 

                                                     

Notes:

1. You can add chopped onion in the Puri along with potato.

2. You can serve Pani Puri on a bed of sev and papdi along with sweet yogurt. This is the famous SPDP (Sev Papdi Dahi Puri).

3. For parties, you can serve Pani Puri shots. Fill shot glass with the pani, top with one filled Puri.

4. Another cool way to serve in parties is Pani Puri fountain. 

5. Short cut to make the spicy pani:

Use mint chutney and spicy coriander chutney instead of fresh herbs. 

Take a tablespoon of each chutney in a bowl. Add the spice packet that comes with the fried puri container. Add chat masala

Add 3 cups of cold water. Mix well. Chill until serving.

Cucumber Idly / Southekayi Kadubu

 Cucumber Idly or Southekayi Kadubu or Taushe Idly is traditional coastal Karnataka dish that could be savory or sweet steamed idly. The sweet version is served as breakfast during festive days. This is a healthy steamed rice cake with cucumber, that needs no fermentation. Traditionally the idly is steamed in banana leaf cups or packets.

Ingredients:

2 Cups grated cucumber

2 Cups rice rawa

salt to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro 

1 Cup grated coconut

4-5 green chili

1/2 Cup plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon Eno or baking soda

For Tempering:

1 Tablespoon  coconut oil

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2-3 green chili, chopped

5-6 curry leaves

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add grated cucumber, rice rava and salt. Combine gently.

                                                                                                                       

2. Pulse 1 cup coconut and 4 green chili to a coarse mix. 

                                            

3. Add cucumber and rice mixture to this and pulse to a coarse mix. Transfer to the bowl.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a small pan. Add mustard, and cumin. When they splutter, add curry leaves and chopped green chili. Pour this over the cucumber rice mixture. Top with chopped cilantro. Add yogurt and mix gently. 

                                                                   

5. Add Eno or baking soda to the batter. The batter should be a little thick. Gently spoon into greased molds. Steam for 10-15 minutes in a steamer.

                                                                    

6. Run a thin knife along the edges of the molds. Invert idly on serving plate.

                                                      

7. Serve with Udupi Chutney or some spicy chutney.

Notes:

1. I did not have rice rava. I powdered raw rice to make rava. 

Udupi Chutney

 Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon oil

6 green chili

5-7 curry leaves

2 Tablespoons roasted gram (pottukadalai)

2 Tablespoons roasted peanuts

1/2 Cup grated coconut

1/2 inch ginger 

a small piece of tamarind

salt to taste

1/2 cup water

For tempering:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon urad dal

1 dried red chili

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

curry leaves

Method:

1. Dry roast roasted gram and peanuts. Allow to cool.

                                                              

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Sauté green chili and curry leaves for a couple minutes. Allow to cool.

                                                               

 3. Place coconut, ginger, tamarind, green chili, curry leaves, roasted gram , peanuts, and salt in a blender. blend to a smooth chutney. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well to a thin chutney.

                                                               

4. Heat oil in a small pan. Temper mustard, urad, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chili. Pour this over the chutney. Serve with Idly.

                                                 

Dahi Waali Arbi (Taro root in yogurt curry)

 Arbi, also known as Taro, a versatile vegetable widely available in South Asia, South east Asia, Africa.

In India, even the Taro leaves are used in cooking. Taro is rich in carbohydrates and fiber. The root is viscous in nature. The vegetable is normally steamed before peeling and cooking. Dahi Waali Arbi is made by shallow frying arbi and cooking it in onion and tomato gravy with yogurt (dahi). Recipe makes 5 servings.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons oil (olive or peanut)

6-7 arbi

1 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds

1/2 teaspoon asafetida

2 cups chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon turmeric 

2 teaspoons red chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon powdered black pepper 

salt to taste

3 tomatoes, puréed ( 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup beaten plain yogurt

Method:

1. Peel arbi, wash and cut into thick slices.

 

2. Heat 3 Tablespoons oil in a large pan. sauté the sliced arbi until almost done. Remove form pan and set aside.

                                                         

3. In the same pan heat 1 Tablespoon oil. Add cumin and carom seeds, and 1 teaspoon asafetida.

                                                         

4. Add 2 cups chopped onion. Add a little salt and sauté till translucent.

                                                           

5. Add the dry spices to the onion. Add a 2 Tablespoons water and sauté for 2 minutes. Add salt.

                                                            

6. Add 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste, and sauté quickly for 30 seconds.  

                                                             

7. Stir in tomato puree to the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until oil separates.

                                     

8. Stir in yogurt to the curry.  Add the roasted arbi. Mix to coat well. Cook for 5 minutes. 

                                                           

9. Add the roasted arbi. Mix to coat well. Cook for 5 minutes.

 

                                 

10. Add 1 cup water. Check for salt and add if needed. Add 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Cover and cook for 5 minutes. 

                                                            

11. Serve hot with roti or naan.

                                                

Lachha Parantha

Lachha Parantha is crispy layered flat bread popular in North India. At a glance it looks like the South Indian Malabar parotta. While Parotta is made with all purpose flour, and the dough is drenched in oil. Lachha Parantha is made with whole wheat flour or 1:1 ratio of wheat flour and all purpose flour. It can be made plain or with ajwain (carrom seeds). This recipe yields 10 Paranthas.

Ingredients:

2 Cups wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon ajwain (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons oil

water, for kneading dough

ghee for flaky layers

oil for cooking parantha

Method:

1. Take 2 cups of wheat flour in a large flat pan.  Add 1/4 teaspoon ajwain, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 Tablespoons oil.

                              

2. Mix well with fingers to crumbling dough.

                               

3. Add water slowly and knead to a smooth soft dough. 

                               

4. Apply some oil around the dough. Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

                               

5. Divide dough into 10 balls. Take one ball. Dust with wheat flour. Using a rolling pin, roll into a thin round disc. Spread 1 teaspoon ghee on the surface of the thin disc.

                              

6. From the bottom of the disc, fold like fan towards the top of the disc.

                                                      

7. Now roll this to form a tight spiral. Tuck the end inside and press to seal.

                            

                                                         

8. Dust with flour and roll out to a slightly thick disc.

                                     

9. Place the parantha on a hot griddle, pressing with fingers or towel. Flip and do the same for a couple minutes. 

                                     

10. Brush with oil on both sides and cook until crisp. Transfer to a plate. Crush sides of the parantha to bring out the layers. Repeat process with the remaining dough.

                                     

11. Enjoy Lachha Parantha with your choice of curry. I paired it with Paneer Lababdar.